MotoGP Germany: Bagnaia Victorious After Late Martin Mistake

MotoGP heads to the Sachsenring this weekend for the German Grand Prix, round nine of the 2024 season. Jorge Martin held the championship lead ahead of the weekend, but a crash on the penultimate lap while leading handed both victory and the points lead to Francesco Bagnaia.

Overview

• Grand Prix - Bagnaia wins after Martin falls from the lead late on

• Sprint - Martin wins from pole in processional Sachsenring Sprint

• Qualifying - Martin takes pole position ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia pair

• Friday Practice - Vinales fastest by a distance as Marquez crashes out of Q2

• Schedule - Check all the times you need to keep up with the track action this weekend in Germany

• 2023 - Jorge Martin does the double in Germany, denying Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap

Grand Prix

Francesco Bagnaia won the German Grand Prix ahead of Marc and Alex Marquez, after Jorge Martin crashed out of the lead.

Although Bagnaia took the lead on lap two, by lap 20 Martin looked to have the race under control. Bagnaia was able to lap as fast as Mattin, but for every strong lap Bagnaia had the #89 had a response.

However, Bagnaia was able to reduce his deficit to Martin to 0.5 seconds at the beginning of the penultimate lap, when Martin crashed at the first turn, handing a fourth straight MotoGP win to Bagnaia, as well as the championship lead.

Alex Marquez was in third place when Martin fell, meaning he was promoted to second. But he was soon passed by Marc Marquez at turn 12 on the penultimate lap. The #93’s journey to second had been a mostly patient one, but contact with Franco Morbidelli which set off the Spanish rider’s airbag prompted a greater attack from the eight-times champion. He held off Enea Bastianini, then went back after Morbidelli, inherited third when Martin crashed, and then passed his Gresini Ducati teammate for second soon after. Damage limitation for the 11-times Sachsenring winner, but still points lost in the championship.

Alex Marquez hung on for the podium, ahead of Enea Bastianini who got the better of Morbidelli late on for fourth. Morbidelli himself took fifth in what was his most impressive ride of the year, ahead of the first non-Ducati in Trackhouse Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira. Pedro Acosta was the best KTM in seventh, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, Brad Binder, and Raul Fernandez who completed the top 10. 

Full MotoGP results from the German Grand Prix are below.

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix Result

Sprint

Jorge Martin stormed to a first race win since the French Grand Prix in Le Mans at the Sachsenring, taking Sprint victory ahead of Miguel Oliveira.

Oliveira beat Martin to turn one at the start, but pushed them both wide, allowing Francesco Bagnaia into the lead. The Italian couldn't hold it, though, and lost out to Martin on the drive up the hill between turns eight and nine on lap two, before Oliveira came through on lap three.

Martin never really escaped, but his victory equally never really looked in doubt after taking the lead. The top four - Martin, Oliveira, Bagnaia, and Enea Bastianini - had been able to break away by half-distance, but none of them were by now able to fashion overtaking opportunities.

As a result, both of that and of the lack of mistakes among the leaders, there were no overtakes in the second half of the race, as Martin took victory by 0.676 seconds ahead of Oliveira and Bagnaia, while Bastinaini secured fourth.

Behind, over four seconds stretched out from the rear wheel of Bastianini's Ducati to the front tyre of Franco Morbidelli's in fifth, while a late move from Marc Marquez promoted him to sixth over Maverick Vinales by 0.003 seconds.

Vinales, as a result, was seventh, ahead of Brad Binder, Alex Marquez, and Marco Bezzecchi who completed the top 10.

Full MotoGP results from the Sprint in Germany are below.

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Sprint

Qualifying

MotoGP qualifying being topped by Jorge Martin is a regular occurrence by now, and it was the case once again at the Sachsenring, where the 2023 German GP double-victor set a new lap record to take pole position.

Martin's closest challenger looked as though it was going to be Francesco Bagnaia. The winner of last week's Dutch TT was in touch with Martin's time when he clicked the third split during the second lap of his second run, but at turn 10 Maverick Vinales had crashed and brought out yellow flags, costing Bagnaia his time. Bagnaia lost another lap at the end of the session to yellows for Alex Marquez at turn five. Martin's timing, then, as well as the time itself, was key to getting pole in Germany, as the #89 was able to post his 1:19.423 before most of the yellows were brought out.

Behind Martin was a double front row for Trackhouse Aprilia, the first of the new team's MotoGP career. Miguel Oliveira took second place, ahead of Raul Fernandez in third. Bagnaia then was fourth, ahead of Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli on the second row, while Maverick Vinales ended up seventh, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini behind him on row three.

Pedro Acosta completed the qualifying top 10, ahead of Brad Binder and Marco Bezzecchi who will join him on the fourth row.

Marc Marquez missed Q2 after he was blocked by Stefan Bradl on his final lap of Q1.

Full MotoGP results from qualifying, and the pre-qualifying FP2 session in Germany are below.

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Qualifying

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | FP2

Friday Practice

Maverick Vinales was fastest on Friday at the MotoGP German Grand Prix, following two crashes for Marc Marquez, the latter of which left him visiting the medical centre.

Marquez was declared fit after he was checked by the circuit medical staff, but the decision was made too late in Practice to give him time to get back on track. The result of that is a 13th-place finish in Practice for Marquez, and, as a result, a trip to Q1 on Saturday.

There were no such worries for Vinales, who finished the day fastest by over 0.3 seconds, despite Sachsenring being the shortest lap time on the calendar. Vinales' 1:19.622 put him 0.340 seconds ahead of Jorge Martin, while Miguel Oliveira backed Vinales' pace up for Aprilia by going third-fastest.

Alex Marquez was fourth, ahead of Francesco Bagnaia whose race pace seemed more competitive than his time attack but ended fifth anyway. Enea Bastianini was sixth despite crashing at turn 11, which is also where Marquez crashed, as well as Marco Bezzecchi earlier in the session.

Franco Morbidelli was seventh, ahead of Pedro Acosta, and Fabio Di Giannantonio who was left holding his right collarbone after a  turn one crash, but eventually returned to the garage and then to the track to get himself into the top 10.

Brad Binder rounded out the top 10, 0.001 seconds ahead of his KTM teammate Jack Miller, who last year was the only non-Ducati rider in the top nine positions when he finished fifth.

Remy Gardner's first day in Monster Energy Yamaha colours, as he replaces the injured Alex Rins this weekend, ended in 20th place, ahead of Joan Mir, another turn one crasher, and HRC test rider Stefan Bradl. Gardner also crashed, at turn 13 which also claimed Johann Zarco.

Aleix Espargaro crashed in the MotoGP Dutch TT Sprint last weekend, and broke a metacarpal in his right hand. He tried to ride in FP1 after a week of therapy, but declared it "impossible" to MotoGP.com having withdrawn from the weekend after FP1, in which he was 10 seconds off the pace and completed only three laps.

Full MotoGP results from Practice and FP1 in Germany are below.

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Practice

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | FP1

Schedule

The 2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix is the ninth round of the championship and the final race before the summer break. Jorge Martin holds the points lead ahead of the in-form Francesco Bagnaia, and returns to the site of his first MotoGP Sprint-Grand Prix double victory.

The schedule follows the pattern of all of the European rounds, with Moto3 kicking things off on Friday morning at 08:00. The full schedule for this weekend is below, with all times in BST.

2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Schedule

2023 

The 2023 German Grand Prix was all about Ducati. They dominated both races, locking out the top five positions in the Grand Prix. Jack Miller was the best non-Ducati rider last year in sixth for KTM, but almost 12 seconds behind the victorious Jorge Martin.

2023 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Sachsenring | Grand Prix Results

2023 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Sachsenring | Sprint Results

2023 MotoGP German Grand Prix | Sachsenring | Qualifying Results